What is the largest breed of chicken?

[Muggsmagee]

Quote:
Funny...my JG roo LOVED my 3 BO girls...I also have a few mixed and they are becoming HUGE...at only 2 months they are bigger than my 5 month old LF Lavender Ameraucanas. The roo is huge (though just hatchery) and one of the sweetest birds I own.

 

[DTchickens]

Quote:
English type Orpingtons Roosters weigh around 4 kilograms (8.81849049 pounds)

American type Orpingtons Roosters weigh around 10 pounds.

How is that putting American type Orpingtons to shame?

Chris

Not sure about your statistics, but having had had both American and English Orpingtons, there is no comparison in size between the two. My American Orpingtons were not even close to the size that my English Orpingtons are. My English youngsters of 5 months old are much bigger than my American orps were at full-grown. My English rooster weighed more than 10 lbs at 6 months old; he is 17 months old now and I need to weigh him. My adult English hen probably weighs more than 10 pounds. It's really all about personal preference. For me, the English Orpingtons puts the American Orpingtons to shame.

Rare Feathers - your rooster is one handsome dude !!

I think Chris was probably just copying from the standard, yes? Your birds may be poor examples in the weight department (no offense meant) in terms of show quality. For sure some American orpingtons are probably small, though some maybe larger than the English and vice versa. I say that is the same with any breed, it is according to the breeding.

-Daniel

 

[iajewel]

I think when it comes to any breed we have to realize that some strains are not as big, or as colorful or what ever the case may be as the next. It could be possible that your American Orps were crap. Or you had a smaller stain, or what ever. I know that my american Orps are 10lbs or larger. They are most likely way over the standard and could not be shown for that one reason. This isn't dressed weight, this is live weight. I know I have a young cockerel out there now that isn't even crowing yet and is every bit of 10lbs. Thats why I held him back. I cull out all my smaller birds about 3-4 months, then I start watching for type, then about 5-6 months I cull anything with off type. The following spring when I will start breeding those young birds I cull one last time for size and anything off type I may have missed. Size being a large factor in my culling reasoning. They may eat more but they also lay better, and survive the cold better. I have seen some small Orps and I think they were hatchery birds or hatchery crosses. I know back in the day and we are going back to when my kids were about 10 and they are almost 30 now, so it was a while back there, Jersey Giants were being crossed into the Orps to gain size and bone. For about 5-8yrs after that was the craze you could really pick out the birds that had that blood in there. Now its pretty much gone but every now and then you will get a chick you can just tell where it goes back to. I have no question in my mind that my birds go back to that practice somewhere in their lines. I didn't do it, I have never owned a Jersey however When culling for size you do get a hint every now and again of where that size is coming from.
I can also tell you about the English birds and how some American breeders are getting that English "skirt" If you have to ask, then go look at your English birds for about 5 seconds. Yup.. Cochin blood. They add those huge cochins to add size and skirt then breed the feathers back off the legs. You can also see it in the heads. Orps have a very unique head and eye and when you add that cochin blood you loose that for a while.
The bottom line isn't who is better, its what bird we used to get better and whats popping up later down the line. Years ago it was the Jersey to add size and get those blacks really popping. Now its adding the Cochin blood to get the skirts back we lost in the Jersey days. If you don't believe me, find a really old Orp breeder that will sit down with a cup of tea and tell you stories, it will come out.


On a funny side note, While breeding blue Orps my son won BOB and BOV at the Clarindia IA Am. Poultry show(this is years ago) with a black that was out of all blue lines. Then he took a blue cochin hen, won with her and turned around the next year and showed her.. as a HIM.. and won again. That black roo produced some awesome blues for me too. Just goes to show.. ya never can tell.

 

[Muggsmagee]

I have both Buff Orpington hens and White Orpington roo and hen. The WOs are enormous. The roo is smaller than my Black JG roo but massive compared to my Blue CM roo. I saw a Blue Cochin roo at a show last month and that sucker was HUGE. Bigger and taller than the JG's. I just want to add...my understanding is JG's don't get to their full size until the second year. If that's the case, mine will be humongous, as he's already 14 lbs and up to midthigh and only 8 months old.

This pic is from this summer when he was 4 months old.

 

[iajewel]

yes the Jerseys and cochins take a long time to grow up. As do my strain of Blue/black/splash Orps. The black roo I held back this year is over 10bls and has a wonderful wide body. He looks all grown up as does your Jersey, however he has yet to crow. The larger breeds just take longer. To me, its well worth the wait. I love them, However when you want eggs and meat with out caponizing, then.. the larger breeds would not be for you.

 

[Chef]

If your going by pure weight then a grown out cornish x will probly be up on the list. Here is our cross at 2 years old. At his biggest he was 23 pounds. He lived for 3 years until the dogs got him

Chef

 

[lildinkem]

Quote:
English type Orpingtons Roosters weigh around 4 kilograms (8.81849049 pounds)

American type Orpingtons Roosters weigh around 10 pounds.

How is that putting American type Orpingtons to shame?

Chris

Not sure about your statistics, but having had had both American and English Orpingtons, there is no comparison in size between the two. My American Orpingtons were not even close to the size that my English Orpingtons are. My English youngsters of 5 months old are much bigger than my American orps were at full-grown. My English rooster weighed more than 10 lbs at 6 months old; he is 17 months old now and I need to weigh him. My adult English hen probably weighs more than 10 pounds. It's really all about personal preference. For me, the English Orpingtons puts the American Orpingtons to shame.

Rare Feathers - your rooster is one handsome dude !!

I just weighed Boss Hogg, my "INDIANA" Black Orpington cockerel. He is 9.75 lbs. And that is on my vintage 1960's doctor's scales which weigh to the tenth of a pound. You who are going to the Ohio Nationals can see him. He is my only Black Orp entry. He is an April 28thish hatch. I also entered L A R S my Blue Orpington cockerel who is also around the same age and size, he'll be there.
To me anything much more then 11 lbs can get you DQ'd. I think their going to make sure the better birds aren't too far off from that. Far as size goes with our APA boys, Julie said she had met Rusty Wilkey and his main Black cock bird was near or over 15 lbs. And my other Black Orpington breeder Russ Milkey has the father to my Lah Fawn Duh and he is 14 lbs as of the Central Indiana Poultry Show. Not too small. And I now have some 75% Milkey boys growin outt.
I bet this guy is not going to be too scrawny, look at his head. Eats like a horse too

Guess which one is Boss?

 

[Chris09]

Quote:
English type Orpingtons Roosters weigh around 4 kilograms (8.81849049 pounds)

American type Orpingtons Roosters weigh around 10 pounds.

How is that putting American type Orpingtons to shame?

Chris

Not sure about your statistics, but having had had both American and English Orpingtons, there is no comparison in size between the two. My American Orpingtons were not even close to the size that my English Orpingtons are. My English youngsters of 5 months old are much bigger than my American orps were at full-grown. My English rooster weighed more than 10 lbs at 6 months old; he is 17 months old now and I need to weigh him. My adult English hen probably weighs more than 10 pounds. It's really all about personal preference. For me, the English Orpingtons puts the American Orpingtons to shame.

Rare Feathers - your rooster is one handsome dude !!

The thing you have to keep in mind is was the breeder that you got your "English Orpington" from breeding to the UK Standard or were they just breeding chickens.
Most of the "English Orpington" I see posted here on BYC look like Cochin with out the feathered shank and feed so I will assume that thy are heavily bred with Cochin.
With all that "Fluff" I am sure they look a lot bigger than they are in weight.

I am not putting down the "English" Orp. and I posted the weights from the standards. I also don't see to very many of the "English type Orpington" placing at a American Poultry show.

Chris

 

[karimw]

Quote:
I love cochins, and used to show the blues. I don't even know where to get them anymore. Im sort of tired of the same ol same ol and you have to remember I have Orps, they look like cochins with out the leg feathers and mine are very large.

If you are interested in looking at the Giant Cochins, check out Flash Point Farm (they are north of Cedar Rapids). I wasn't after Cochins but I got some anyway because the rooster she has is the biggest one I have ever seen

My chicks are 3 weeks old now and they look like they will be pretty big. Great feathers too. Now I don't know if they are show quality but many of the breeds she raises are out of exhibition quality stock. Her Barred Rocks are huge too!

 

[justuschickens59]

Yep, the breeder that I got my birds from is a very respected, reputable breeder to UK Standards in England. I don't show my birds, so I don't breed to the APA Standards, but to the UK Standards. My #1 priority is breeding the very best Orpington that I possibly can, and helping to promote this wonderful breed of chickens. As I haven't seen any Orpingtons here that look like Cochins, I can't respond to that statement. If you're interested, I can put you in contact with my breeder and he can tell you how he breeds his birds so you don't have to assume? Again, it is all a matter of personal preference.

Mercy, we go from big chickens to English Orps not winning at shows (even though I was lucky enough to acquire an English Orpington hen that won at the Ohio Nationals last year, I think BV)

Back to the OPs topic of big chickens ---- my goodness, Chef, he's a monster !!!